As a small child, I loved playing the “getting warmer” game whenever I was trying to find something that had been hidden from me. I remember when we five kids were trying to find the last few Easter eggs that Mom had concealed. “Getting warmer”, she would say as we got closer or “getting colder” if we were going further away. Like a geiger counter, she would talk faster and louder when we got very close, “getting warmer, getting warmer … getting hot … you found it!”

In life, we “get warmer” or “get colder” with each choice we make. Closer – or further away – from the path that takes us where we truly want to go. A path to healthy mind, body and spirit, to fulfilling relationships, to leadership success and to achieving our boldest dreams in life and work. To an exuberant life.

Let’s take a closer look.

What choice will you make when you first wake up tomorrow? To be grateful and greet the day with a smile? Or to groan and grumble and stumble out the door?

In each moment, life offers you another chance to “get warmer” or “get colder”. How you greet the next person you meet, the food you eat, the energy you bring to your next meeting, to exercise or grab a martini, to take a real break at lunch or grind away at your desk. To thank the co-worker who helped you or put it off.  To go outside your leadership comfort zone or play it safe?

So consciously ask, before each action, “Am I getting warmer or getting colder?”

It’s a beautiful thing. No matter how far you have strayed from what makes you come alive and what lights up everyone around you, you are still just one choice away from “getting warmer”.

Your next move is key. Pay close attention to your body. Your inner voice will tell you – every time — whether this next choice will keep you on the right path. It’s only when you ignore or override your inner wisdom that you drift off course.

Ready to give it a try? OK. These questions are your basic navigation tools:

1. Where do I want to go? Where do I want to lead others?

2. What path will take me there? Am I looking in that direction?

3. What is my body telling me about my very next choice?

Your next action is all that matters right now.

Getting warmer or getting colder?